According to a Eurostat report, one in four foreigners granted
citizenship in the European Union obtain a Spanish passport. The
European Union grants nearly one million citizenships every year,
and figures for 2013 reveal that 225,800 (about 23%) people were
given Spanish citizenship in that year, more than in any other EU
member state.
The majority of Spain's new citizens came from non-EU
countries, and only 1% belonged to another European nation.
Colombians comprised the biggest group of people who were
granted Spanish citizenship (17.2%), followed by Ecuadorians (17%)
and Moroccans (13.4%). Spain is an especially popular choice for
nationals of Latin America who are seeking citizenship in the EU.
About 97% of Bolivians and 95.2% of Ecuadorians who applied for an
EU citizenship in 2013 applied for a Spanish passport.
